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REPORT 



OF THE 



CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE 



ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY 



ON 



ITS OPERATIONS DURING THE AVAR WITH SPAIN. 



Captain JOHN E. BARTLETT, U. S. Navy, Eetired, 
Chief V. S. Aitxiliary Xaval Force. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 




REPORT 



CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE 



ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY 



ITS OPERATIOIiS DURING THE WAR WITH SPAIN. 



Captain JOHN E. BAETLETT, U. S. Navy, Eetired, 
Chief U. S. Auxiliary Naval Force, 



WASHINGTON": 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 

1898. 



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REPORT 



CHIliF OF THl^: UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 



Navy Department, 
Headquarters U. S. Auxiliary Xaval Force, 

Washington, October 1, 1898. 
Sir : I have tlie lionor to submit the following report concerning the 
United States Auxiliary Naval Force, which was organized for service 
in the war with Spain under the terms of a joint resolution of Congress, 
passed to meet the emergency, in the month of May last. As a con- 
sideration of this joint resolution is necessary to a complete under- 
standing of the organization and limitations of the Auxiliary Naval 
Force, I set it forth in full, as follows: 

JOINT RESOLUTION providing for the organizatiou and enrollment of tlie United States Auxiliary 

Naval Force. 

Resolved hi/ the Senate (uul House of Kepresentafires of the United Slates of America in 
Com/ress assembled, That a United States Auxiliiiry Naval Force is hereby authorized 
to be established, to be enrolled in such numbers as the President may deeui neces- 
sary, not exceeding three thousand enlisted men, for the exigencies of the present 
war with Spain, and to serve for a period of one year, or less, and shall be disbanded 
by the President at the conclusion of the war. 

Sec. 2. That the chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force shall be detailed 
by the Secretary of the Navy from the active or retired list of the line otllcers of the 
Navy not below the grade of captain, who shall receive the highest pay of his grade 
while so employed. 

Skc. 3. That' enlistment into the United States Auxiliary Naval Force shall be 
made by such officer or oflicers as the Navy Department may detail for the purpose, 
who shall also select from merchant vessels and other available sources such volun- 
teers as niay be deemed best fitted for service as officers in said P'orce, and shall 
report to the Secretary of the Navy, for his action, their names and the grade for 
which each is recommended. 

Sec. 4. That for the purposes of this organization the coast line shall be divided 
into districts, each of which shall be in charge of an assistant to the chief of the 
United States Auxiliary Naval Force; and such assistant chiefs may be detailed by 
the Secretary of the Navy from the officers of the active or retired list of the line of 
the Navy, or appointed by him from civil life, not above the rank of lieutenant- 
commander. 

Sec. 5. That the officers and men comprising the United States Auxiliary Naval 
Force shall receive the same pay and emoluments as those holding similar rank or 
rate in the Regular Navy; and all matters relating to the organization, discipline, 
and government of men' in said Force shall conform to the laws and regulations 
governing the United States Navy. 

Sec. 6.' That the chii-f of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force, or such officers 
as the Navy Department may detail for such service, may, with the consent of the 
governor of any State, muster into the said P'orce the whole or any i)art of the 
organizations of tin- Naval Militia of any State to serve in said Auxiliary Naval 
Force, and shall report to the Secretary of the Navy, for his action, the names and 
grades for which commissions in said United States Auxiliary Naval Force shall be 
issued to the officers of such Naval Militia, and shall have the power to appoint and 
disrate the petty officers thereof. 



4 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

Sfc 7. That the ulUicer.s. warraut officers, petty officers, and enlisted meu and boys 
of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force thus created shall be paid from the 
ai)iiroi>riation "Fay of the Navv:" and the sum of three million dollars, or so much 
thereof as may be recinired, is hereby appropriated, from any money in the Treasury 
not otherwise' ap])ropriated, for the purchase or hire of vessels necessary lor the pur- 
poses iif this resolution. 

Approved May 26, 1.S98, and known as "Public resolution No. 34. 

At tlie time tlie resolution received the sigiiatiiie of tlie President, 
part of the organization which it authorized and some of the results 
■svhich it was designed to accomplisli had already been eftected under 
a ditlerent name. This occurred because the resolution, which had been 
introduced in Congress early in the month of April, had been set aside 
in favor of legislation of wider scope, and in the meantime, in antici- 
pation of its i)assage, prei)arations for naval defense and offense had to 
be rushed forward under authority of existing laws. As a result, when 
the Joint resolution became a law, its provisions had to be applied to 
existing conditions, and various elements which had up to that time 
been developed separately had to be concentrated under one manage- 
ment. 

On March 23, 1898, the Department had directed Commander Horace 
Elmer, l". S. N., to prepare, with all possible dispatch, a scheme utiliz- 
ing the available resources of our Atlantic coast in the formation of a 
"Mos(piito tlotilla,'' in general accordance with the methods proposed 
by the Naval War College. He was direcited to suggest for each impor- 
tant locality the names of suitable vessels (in such numbers as he might 
think proper) to be outfitted as improvised gun vessels, rams, or tor- 
pedo boats; to indicate how and where the armament of these vessels 
should be obtained and mounted; how their captains and crews might 
be secured from the merchant service or Naval Militia; to propose 
appointments for volunteer oflicers and ratings for enlisted men, and to 
l)repai-e an organization for the whole coast and rules for the govern- 
ment of each local division. Commander Elmer was told that "prompt- 
ness, efticiency, and economy'' were necessary, and that his scheme 
must be so perfected that it could be ])ut into instant execution on the 
issuing of orders from the Department. A copy of the letter of the 
Depaitment is annexed hereto. (Appendix A.) Commander Elmer 
was immediately detached from duty at Philadelphia and ordered to 
l)roceed to New York, where he established head(|narters at the navy- 
yard, and undertook with great zeal the work outlined for liim, which 
soon i)roved to have an enormous amount of detail. The consideration 
of the needs of the different i)orts, the vessels available for the various 
kinds of service proposed, and the selection of suitable officers and 
men rendered his task com))lex and arduous. He was assisted in 
A^arious features of it, however, by the officers of the New York Navy- 
Y^ard and New York Naval Militia, and by the Board on Auxiliary Ves- 
sels, and had at his command such clerical force as could be spared 
from ihe pressing woik of the yard. 

During the first week of April the joint resolution was prepared by 
the Dei)artment to fully carry out the purposes intended, and Com- 
mander 1^1 mer was directed to arrange the different districts in con- 
nection with what was then called the " Coast-defense system," or 
"Mosquito Hotilla,'' so that each district should conform to the corre- 
sponding district estal)lislied by the Light-House Board of the Treas- 
ury Department. This was done with the idea of simplifying the organ- 
ization and exi)edifing its completion, as the naval oflicers detailed as 
inspectors of the various light-house districts were familiar with the 
localities in which they were stationed and generally acquainted with 
the personnel and materiel of the districts. A copy of the ])epartment's 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 5 

letter is hereto annexed. (Appendix B.) The light-house inspectors 
were not relieved of their regular duties, but were ordered to assume 
in addition to them the duties connected with the coast-defense districts. 

On April 1!), 1808, the Department informed Commander Elmer that 
he could not move actively in the matters with which he was charged 
nutil war was declared and the President should call out the Naval 
Militia. In the meantime, he was directed to use all possible dispatch 
to perfect his scheme, so that each of the vessels which he proposed 
to assign to defeuse should be selected and her armament allotted upon 
his request, by the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, and held in readi- 
ness for his orders. He was told to prepare contracts for the work to 
be done upon the vessels in local establishments, and to see that the 
officers of the Naval Militia who were to command these vessels were 
nominated by the local chiefs of the Naval Militia, and that the crews, 
also from the Naval Militia, should be set apart by name for each par- 
ticular ship. A copy of this letter is hereto annexed. (Appendix C.) 
Of course but a part of the many details of this plan had been worked 
out when war was declared on April I'o. Just at this critical time, and 
while his exi)erience, intelligence, and untiring energy were of the 
greatest importance to the public service, Commander Elmer died, after 
a very short illness, leaving the work which he had begun so admirably 
to be carried on by another. At the time of his death, the plans of the 
Department had been elaborated so as to include the defense of fifteen 
harbors and strategic points on the Atlantic and (iulf coasts, with a 
flotilla of 28 gun vessels, li' torpedo vessels (one tube each), and 40 
patrol boats, and the armament of these vessels had been worked out 
with such ordnance as was available. All of these vessels were to be 
employed in the inshore or coast patrol fleet, it having been deter- 
mined to organize a deep-sea or oftshore patrol fleet as a distinct naval 
command. The light house inspectors of all the districts but three had 
reported for duty in connection with coast-defense work, and corre- 
spondence had been opened all along the coast with the local Naval 
Militia and other sources, to obtain data in regard to vessels suitable 
for the different classes necessary for the formation of the "Mosoiiito 
flotilla." ^ 

Prior to this, the Department had taken up actively with the State 
authorities the employment of the Naval Militia, but'^it was apparent 
that there was no authority of law for mustering Naval Militia organi- 
zations into the United States service and that the President was not 
authorized to call them out for service outside of the United States, 
and the passage of the joint resolution became of prime necessity. In 
the absence of a national naval reserve the Department had relied 
upon the State Naval Militias to supply the personnel for coast signal 
work and for manning the vessels of the coast-defense system. It 
was for these purposes only that the Naval Militias had been drilled 
and instructed under orders from the Department. The scope of their 
duties is well defined in the "Memorandum for boards appointed to 
report ui)on the condition and efficiency for service of the Naval Mili- 
tia" in 1897, which says: 

They are not to be considcied in any sense as a naval reserve capable of manning 
our seagoing fleet, although their cooperation would be very valuable in examining 
into the seaforing personnel of their respective districts," in keeping constantly- 
informed as to this source of supply for the Navy, and in suggesting possibilities in 
the way of grouping and registering these men, which would make them available 
in the case of sudden need. A true naval reserve would have to be established 
under national auspices alone. The dual chiiractcr of the Naval Militia, owing as 
it does allegiance to the State maintaining it and the (Jeneral Government, ruust 
place a limitation on the expectations that the latter has concerning it. (Annual 
Keport of the Operations of the Naval Militia for 1897, p. 9.) 



6 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

The last aimiial repoit of the Secretary of the Navy also called atten- 
tion to the fact tliat the Naval Militia offered the only means of procur- 
inj>- what was in any way a substitnte for an eHicient naval reserve to 
consist of seafariiio; mon nnder direct control of the national anthori- 
ties.aiid noted tliat there were particular and important fnnctions which 
belonged to the ^■aval Militia alone, and that there were three or lour of 
these organizations wliich, in the event of a sudden emergency, could 
be utilized at once tor manning some of the smaller naval vessels. It 
mentioned tlie i)laciug of mines and the establishment of signal sta- 
tions for coast defense as two of the most important features of their 
work, all of which was to be performed in the "Second line of defense." 
(Annual Keport of the Secretary of the Navy, 1897, p. 31.) 

Organizations of 2\aval Militia existed in January, 1898, in fifteen 
States, aggregating 3,703 petty officers and enlisted men, and about 
L'Ul) comnussioned officers. Just prior to the war organizations were 
officially recognized in two additional States, and provisional organiza- 
tions were formed in two others. Without waiting for special legisla- 
tion the Department called upon the State Naval Militias in the latter 
part of March to furnish officers and crews for the single-turret moni- 
tors (which had seen service in the War of the Itebellion and were then 
laid up at League Island Navy-Yard), and had arranged with the gov- 
ernors of the vaiious States that either leaves of absence or discharges 
should be granted to such officers and men as should volunteer for this 
duty. The resitonses were prompt and satisfactory and showed the patri- 
otic s])irit of the Naval Militia, eight monitors being rapidly i)ut in 
commission, each under command of a naval officer, all the other offi- 
cers and the entire ciews being furnished by the Naval Militias of the 
various States. The Dei)artment also called upon the States of New 
York, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Maryland to furnish officers and 
men for the merchant steamers purchased for the war and renamed 
the Yankee, rrairie, Yo.sennte, and Dine. This was in accordance with 
the suggestion that some of the older organizations of Naval Militia were 
comi)etent to furnish officers and men for seagoing vessels. This call 
was one which taxed to the utmost the resources of the Naval Militia 
organizations, coming closely as it did upon that for volunteers to man 
the monitors, but it was responded to with most gratifying alacrity. 
To fill the complement of these vessels each organization called upon 
contributed about -50 men. As examples of the promptness with 
which the call was met, the contingent from the First Naval Battalion, 
New York, reported, uniformed, armed, equipped, and ready for duty 
in six hours after receiving notice, and the contingent from the Massa- 
chusetts Naval Brigade, which was notified at 1 o'clock on a Saturday- 
afternoon, arrived at the New York Navy- Yard, fully prepared for 
service on the Prairh., at 9 o'clock the next morning. For the first 
time in the history of the Navy, professional men, business men, and 
men of leisure and of the highest education were brought into the 
lower ratings, and from the reports which have come incidentally to 
my notice it appears that they served with great intelligence and 
enthusiasm, and after a short experience made good men-of-warsmen, 
although they had had little or no training as seagoing sailors and 
exhibited some of the lack of knowledge of the care of property and 
themselves that is common to all volunteers. 

The Xaval Militia of the seaboard States had also been taxed to 
furnish officers and men for the Coast Signal Service. They had been 
trained to exi)ect such duty, and the admirable manner in which they 
performed it has been commented upon by me in another report pre- 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 7 

viously submitted. Active recruiting to fill tlie vacancies caused by 
these drafts was in progress in the Naval Militia organizations at tlie 
time of the declaration of war and of Commander Elmer's death, and 
their officers were busily at work preparing to fill the places in the 
scheme of coast-defense for which they had been instructed, as soon as 
the formation of the Auxiliary Naval Force should be authorized by 
law. 

This was the situation when, on April 25, 1898 (the date that Congress 
declared tliat a state of war had existed since April 21), orders were 
issued to Kear Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., retired, to report imme- 
diately' to the commandant, navy-yard, Xew York, "for duty as officer 
in charge of the torpedo-boat flotilla work in connection with the coast- 
defense system," as the successor of Commander Elmer. The work of 
the most pressing importance (war having been declared) was the 
acquisition of suitable vessels to add to the monitors, the stations for 
which had been determined and which had been assigned for duty in 
the coast-defense fleet. Money for the purchase of -some of the neces- 
sary steamers, tugboats, and yachts was available from the appropria- 
tion for "National defense," and competent engineers and naval 
constructors were at once detailed to headquarters, and boards tor the 
inspection of vessels, composed of officers of the necessary professional 
requirements, were organized in the districts where there was the largest 
number to be inspected. Nothing, however, could be done with regard 
to the personnel until the passage of the joint resolution, which was 
still unavoidably held back in Congress by the pressure of legislation 
connected with the war. Admiral Erben was made fully acquainted 
with the intentions of the Department and with the situation, in a let- 
ter dated April 28, a copy of which is hereto annexed. (Appendix D.) 

Meanwhile submarine mines Avere placed by the War Department in 
the harbors of the more important seaports and shipping thereby greatly 
interfered with, and the Navy Department was called upon to patrol 
and protect the mine fields. This duty was relegated to Eear Admiral 
Erben's command, and instructions were given him relative thereto, 
under the dates of May (J and May 17, copies of which are annexed. 
(Appendix E and Apiiendix F.) At this time, however, but few of the 
vessels purchased under the recommendations of the Board on Auxiliary 
Vessels had been prepared for patrol duty, and it was impossible to 
obtain a sufficient number of boats to perform this service. In New 
York, the governor of the State hired suitable tugs, fitted them out, 
manned them with officers and men from the Naval Militia, and put 
them at the service of the Department, and by this means the mine 
fields at the entrance to the port of New York were thoroughly patrolled 
for ten days, the Naval Militia acquitting themselves most creditably in 
this duty. 

The governor of New York also placed at the disposal of the Depart- 
ment, on April 27, the services of his Naval Militia Aide, who was of 
material assistance in securing the passage of the joint resolution author- 
izing the organization and enrollment of the Auxiliary Naval Force. 
On May 26 the President signed the joint resolution, and Admiral 
Erben became the chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force. 

From the foregoing resume, it is i^ossible to understand the condi- 
tions existing at the time that the resolution became a law. The exigen- 
cies of the war upon which the resolution was predicated (in section 1 
thereof) existed. An officer of the Navy, not below the grade of 
captain, already had charge of the organization contemplated by the 
joint resolution, as was provided in section 2 thereof. The coast line 



8 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL, FORCE. 

had been divided into districts, each one of which was in command of 
an officer of the Navy, assisting tlie chief, and it but remained to com- 
plete the alterations and repairs to the newly purchased vessels (upon 
wjiich men were working night and day at the various navy-yards) to 
get them on their stations, and to examine and enlist the men from the 
Naval Militias, and examine their officers for recommendation and 
appointment. Prior to this date, and in the emergency, the officers 
who had been commissioned for temporary duty on the monitors and 
auxiliary cruisers, and in the coast signal service had been accepted 
without examinations, the only exception being the officers of the 
U. S. S. Yankee. The Department, however, determined (as the joint 
resolution did not restrict the purpose for which the officers should be 
used, but authorized their employment for general service) that no 
further appointments should be made except upon the recommendation 
of examining boards, which were thereupon appointed and convened. 

The chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force and the gov- 
ernors of the States having Naval Militias were notified by the Depart- 
ment that there was opportunity for a more general employment of the 
naval forces of the States, and it was suggested that the various adju- 
tant generals should be instructed to rendezvous their Naval Militia 
for examination and the enlistment of such as might be found (piaMed. 
Officers and men were informed that the intention was that their serv- 
ices would be used as far as practicable for necessary coast-defense 
(the duty for which they had been instructed and drilled), but that as 
they were, when mustered in, to receive the same rank and pay as those 
of the Kegular Navy, they should be prepared in case of special emer- 
gency to serve wherever the Department deemed their presence most 
necessary. Those passing examinations, physically and professionally, 
were recommended for appointment to the grades or enlisted for the 
ratings for which they were found qualified, and when mustered into 
the service were sent to the nearest receiving shii) or station, from which 
regular details were drawn as required. These details, as far as prac- 
ticable, were made up of men from the same State and organization. 
A copy of the circular of " Instructions for the enlistment of the Aux- 
iliary Naval Force," which was sent to the adjutant-generals of the 
various States interested, is annexed. (Appendix G.) I also append 
an examiiuition paper upon which a candidate for the i)osition of lieu- 
tenant was examined. This was selected at random, and is an evidence 
of the thoroughness of the examinations. (Appendix H.) Officers 
were rapidly examined, recommended for appointment, and commis- 
sioned, the form of commission given them being annexed. (Appendix 
I.) No special form of enlistment paper for the men was used, but on 
the first and second sheets of the ordinary enlistment record the words 
" Auxiliary Naval Force," were written. The limit of the term of 
enlistment was entered in each instance as one year, and the sentence 
was added " Discharge will be granted, upon request, provided the 
exigencies of the service will permit." 

\'essels Avere rapidly purchased under the $3,000,000 appropriation 
carried by the joint resolution, and were sent to the nearest navy-yards 
to be altered for the purposes for which they were intended. The ves- 
sels ])urchased under this appropriation included 10 yachts and 5 tugs, 
the cost aggregating $503,500. I annex a list of these vessels, giving 
their names at the time of purchase, their names in the service, and the 
date when purchased. (Appendix J.) From the number of vessels 
attached to the Auxiliary Naval Force, and which were manned by 
officers and men from the Naval Militia, those which were deemed best 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY XAVAL FORCE. 9 

suited for service in southern waters were detached on June 30, namely, 
the (lonrtwr Russell, East Boston, Apache, Vildiuj, Sylvia, and (later) 
Potomac and Kanawha. These were then given comiuandiug officers 
from the Navy. 

At the beginning of July the organization of the Auxiliary Naval 
Force included Kear- Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., Eetired, as chief, 
with headquarters at No. 39 Whitehall street, New York. Attached to 
his staff were a medical inspector, a surgeon, an assistant surgeon, a pay 
inspector, an assistant paymaster, 6 chief engineers, 2 naval construct- 
ors, and 2 lieutenants. The light-house inspectors were acting as 
assistants to the chief in the various districts, as above described. 
Seventeen vessels were then being put in commission, for the comple- 
ments of which Admiral Erben estimated that 73 officers and 500 men 
were necessary. It was contemplated putting 4 more monitors in com- 
mission. Twelve hundred men had been enlisted and sent to receiv- 
ing ships or stations. :Seventy-seven officers from the Naval Militia 
had been nominated for commissions and 64 had been commissioned. 
Only 1() vessels on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts were actually in com- 
mission, including 5 receiving ships— the Minnesota at Boston, the New 
Hampshire at New York, the Fortsmouth at Hobokeu, N. J., the St. 
Louis at l*hiladelphia, and the Bale at Baltimore (Appendix Ja.) — 
and the monitors Catslill, Lehigh, Jason, Sahant, Monta ul\ Nantucket, 
and Bassaic. The remaining 4 vessels were at navy-yards being pre- 
pared for service. 

On Saturday, July 9, forty-four days after the signing of the joint 
resolution, I was ordered to relieve F.tar Admiral Erben and assume 
the duties of chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force, with 
headquarters at the Navy Department. A copy of my orders is annexed. 
(Appendix K.) I immediately made room for the headquarters in the 
Office of Naval Intelhgence, and with but one assistant, Lieut. Herbert 
L. Satterlee, U. S. N. (at that time attached to the Coast Signal Serv- 
ice), undeitook the completion of the details of the Department's plans. 

The submarine mines were receiving occasional damage, owing to 
the lack of proper protection. The officers who had been commissioned 
and the 1,200 men who had been enlisted were waiting on the various 
receiving ships for assignment to active duty. The converted vessels 
at the navy-yards were without complements, and there was need of 
small dispatch boats and tugs. The Naval Militia, which had recruited 
up to its legal strength at the re([uest of the Department, was not ful- 
filling the part which had been assigned to it in case of war; its offi- 
cers and men were becoming restless at the inactivity, its facilities 
were not being fully emjiloyed, and the Navy was still short of men 
for its seagoing ships. Tlie DepartJnent was overwhelmed with requests 
for active service and the mustering in of organizations which had 
been recruited for the war. The situation was urgent, and prompt 
action was necessary. I gave all the time that I could spare from my 
duties as Chief Intelligence Officer and Superintendent of the Coast 
Signal Service, and made myself familiar with the situation, relying upon 
Lieutenant Satterlee's intimate knowledge of the Naval Militia, as he 
had been for years the navigating officer of the First Naval Battalion, 
New York, and, more recently. Naval Militia Aide on the staff of the 
governor of New York. I found at once that no use had been made of 
the services of the commanding officers of the naval brigades of Mas- 
sachusetts and New York, both of wlioni were ex-officers of the Ignited 
States Navy, and had been studying for years the duties of their forces 
in the naval patrol and defense of the seacoast of their respective 



10 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAU FORCE. 

States They were immediately examined, lecommeiided for appoint- 
ment, commissioned, and substituted for the lighthouse inspectors 
in chari-e of the districts in which they were located. As rapidly as 
])()ssible^the other light house inspectors were, in succession, relieved 
of the extra duties which had been imposed upon them in counectiou 
with the Aiixiliarv Naval Force, and the senior ofticers (not already 
atloat) of the State Xaval Militias were ordered to duty as my assist- 
ants in the various districts, lu the meantime the naval officers com- 
manding the monitors were detached and assigned to other duty, and 
the command of these vessels was intrusted to competent otticers of the 
Force who came from the ISaval JVlilitia. 

The officers and men of some of the States that had not been given 
an opi)<)rtunity to entei- the service were examined, and, if pioticient, 
were respectively commissioned and enlisted, those from Louisiana and 
Fh)rida being sent to the navy-yard at Pensacola. Within forty-eight 
hours from the time of assuming command, I was enabled to get two 
of the converted yachts at New York on duty patrolling the mine fields, 
and on July 12 they were joined by a third. In rapid succession the 
various yachts and the tugs were furnished with officers and crews, put 
in commission, and assigned to active duty. After filling the comple- 
ments of these vessels, those monitors which were still being fitted out 
at the navy yards were supplied, and an effort was made to send all the 
men renuiiniiig on the receiving ships to the front. To this end, a draft of 
men was sent from the Pensacola yard to the naval station at Key West, 
and other drafts were forwarded from receiving ships on the Atlantic 
coast to the Norfolk Navy-Yard for transportation south by the first 
public conveyance. This was done, not only to complete the plans of the 
])ci)artment for using the Naval Militia, but to obviate the necessity of 
enlisting more men for general service. Several hundred men enlisted 
from the Naval Militia were sent to Cuban waters from Key West and 
distributed among the vessels of the first and second squadrons of the 
North Atlantic fieet, where they saw actual warfare at Santiago in 
the battle which resulted in the destruction of Admiral Cervera's 
S(iuadron. Our naval successes, and the situation of the war in the lat- 
ter i)art of July, made any further increase of the Force unnecessary, 
and the Department determined not to issue any more commissions or 
make any more enlistments. I append a form of the certificate given 
to those who passed^ their examinations, but whose services were not 
needed. (Appendix Ka.) The protocol of peace was signed while 
some of these drafts of men were on their way to the South, and it was 
therefore necessary to return them to the receiving ships, from which 
they had started. 

Tiie Auxiliary Naval Force on the Pacific coast, which had been 
under the command of Eear Admiral Joseph N. Miller, U. S. N., sepa- 
rate and distinct from Eear Admiral Erben's command, was transferred 
to me, and the Pacific coast was thereu])on organized as a district, and 
Lieut. W. F. (hum, U. S. N., who entered the service from the California 
Naval Militia, was appointed my assistant in charge. The four reve- 
nue cutters attached to this district patrolled the coast from San Fran- 
cisco to Alaska, in order to protect the treasure-laden vessels from the 
Klondike gold fields. 

When at its maximum strength, and after the 7 vessels herein- 
before named had been detached, the fieet of the Auxiliary Naval 
Force consisted of 41 vessels. The yacht SJtearwatcr, the torpedo boat 
Mtoili/, and the monitors Canonieus and Mahopac were attached to it, 
but were never put in commission. 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 11 

The complete organization of the Auxiliary Naval Force was as fol- 




one messenger. 

The first district, from the most easterly point of jNIaine to Hampton 
Harbor, New Hampshire, E. J. Beach, lieutenant. U. S. IST., assistant to 
chief, with headquarters at I'ortlaud. To this district were attached 
the monitors Monlaul- and Wyandotte. The latter, however, was never 
seut to her station at IJath, Me. 

The second district, from Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire, to New- 
port, E. I., J. W. Weeks, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with 
headcjuarters at Boston. Attached to this district were the U. S. 11. S. 
Minnesota, the monitors CatsliU and Lehigh, the tug Seminole, and the 
yacht Inea. 

The third district, from Newport, K. 1., to Seabright, N. J., J. W. 
Miller, lieutenant-commander, U. S. N.. assistant to chief, with head- 
(|uarters at New York City. Attached to this district were the U. S. 
li. S. Xea- Eanq)shi)e, the monitors Jason, Manhattan, and Xahant, the 
yachts Aileen, ElfYida, Enquirer, Freelance, Emitress, h'estless, and 
Shearwater, and "the torpedo boat Manly. The monitor Manhattan, 
however, was never sent to her station at Newport; the Jason was 
stationed at Fishers Island and the Xahant at Tompkinsville. 

The fourth district, from Seabright, N. J., to JNletomkin Inlet, Vir- 
ginia, Lieut. J. S. Muckle, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquar- 
ters at Philadelphia. Attached to this district were the U. S. E. S. 
St. Louis, the monitors Canonicus and MeJiopac, and the side-wheel 
steamboat Arctic. 

The fifth district, from Metomkin Inlet, Virginia, to New Eiver Inlet, 
North Carolina, Isaac E. Emerson, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to 
chief, with headquarters at Baltimore, Md. The vessels attached to 
this district were the U. S. E. S. Dale, the monitor Akix, and the yacht 
Sylph. ' J 1 ^ 

The sixth district, from New Eiver Inlet, North Carolina, to Jupiter 
Inlet, Florida, George L. Morton, lieutenant, IT. S. N., assistant to chief, 
with headquarters at Port Eoyal, S. C. The vessels attached to this 
district were the monitor Xantuclcet and the tugs Cheyenne, Chiclcasaic, 
and ^Yaban. 

The seventh district, from Jupiter Inlet, Florida, to Perdido Entrance, 
Florida, J. C. Sutherland, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with 
headquarters at Pensacola, Fla. Attached to this district was the tug 
Tacoma, and the battalion of the Auxiliary Naval Force at the Pensa- 
cola Navy-Yard. 

The eighth district, from Perdido Entrance, Florida, to the most west- 
erly point of Texas, J. W. Bostick, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to 
chief, with headquarters at New Orleans, La. Attached to this district 
were the monitor Passaic and the tugs Choctaw and Powhatan. 

The ninth district, the Pacific coast of the United States, W. E. Gunn, 
lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquarters at San Fran- 
cisco. Attached to this district were the revenue cutters Cor win, 
Grant, I*erry, and Bush, and the tugs Active, Lroquois, and Viyilant. 

Pay Inspector J. H. Stevenson, U. S. N., retired, was attached to the 
headquarters of the third district, and Assistant Paymaster Webb V. 
H. Eose was attached to the headquarters of the " seventh district. 
Chief Engineer Alexander Henderson, retired, was attached to the 



12 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

heacUinaiters of the third district. Chief Engineer E. D. llobie, retired, 
was attaclied to the headquarters of the second district, and Ohiet 
Engineer W. W. Dungaii was attached to the headquarters of the fifth 

district. . . . 

There were commissioned in the naval service, from the ISTaval Militias, 
lieutenant commander, 1; lieutenants, 50; lieutenants (junior grade), 
44: ensigns, 1)5; surgeons, ID; paymasters, 14; engineers, lil; mates, 
I'A; a total of 2«>3 olhcers, and there were enlisted 3,83li men from the 
same source. The ohiccrs furnished their own uniforms and side arms 
and tlie men came into the service armed, uniformed, and equipped. A 
table showing tlie number of officers and men from the Naval Militia 
of each State is hereto annexed. (Appendix L.) I also append a table 
showing the points at which the various vessels were stationed and the 
character of duty performed by each. (Appendix M.) 

About the middle of August, acting under instructions from the 
Department, 1 began to put out of commission the patrol boats as fast 
as their i)resence at tlie mine fields was no longer necessary, the sub- 
marine mines being removed. The monitors were ordered to proceed to 
League Island Navy- Yard, with the exception of the Passaic, which 
was ordered to Pensacola, and the Nantucket, to Port Royal, and the 
revenue cutters were returned to tiie Treasury Department. There 
was some dehiy in getting all the monitors that were destined for that 
point to League Island, owing to the fact that they had to be convoyed 
by tugs, which at that time were hard to procure. The tugs attached 
to the Force were then, with one exception, in Oulf waters, and as soon 
as they were no longer needed for duty connected with the navy-yards 
and naval stations they were also laid up. Tlie last yachts to be put 
out of commission were the Aileen and IJlfrida, which had been for some 
time used in the ([uarantine patrol at Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, 
N. Y. However, on the 2Gth day of September all the vessels of the 
Force had been placed out of commission and their crews discharged. 

J have temporarily retained the services of my nine assistants in the 
various districts for the purpose of properly closing uj) the affairs of 
the districts, perfecting their records, and making full reports as to the 
number of officers aiul men admitted into the Force in the districts, 
giving their grades and ratings, the character of the service performed 
in the districts, the suitability of the vessels assigned for the purposes 
for which they were employed, the manner in which they stood the 
requirements of the service, and the characteristics of the district from 
a defensive point of view, taking into consideration the needs of a thor- 
ougldy e(iuip[)ed naval force to protect them. They are also inci- 
dentally carrying (mt the suggestion of the Secretary's report above 
referred to, as to '• grouping and registering" in their districts the men 
available for service in a United States iSTaval Keserve. The following 
changes were made in the list of assistants: Lieut. 11. J. Beach was 
relieved in the first district by T^ieut. (Junior Grade) William IL Cliftbrd, 
Jr.; and Ijieut. Commander J. W. Miller, in the third district, by Lieut. 
E. C. Weeks. The headquarters of the sixth district was removed 
from Fort Koyal, S. V>., to Wilmington, N. C. I think that the data 
secured by these assistants and the information contained in their 
reports will be of value to the J)epartment for reference and for 
guidance in any further emergency, and Avill file them in the Naval 
Militia Oflice. 

As this is the first time that the Naval Militia has been called into 
service by the I'nited States, it is of great interest to note the charac- 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 13 

ter of work performed by it and the manner in which it fulfilled the 
requirements i)reviously outlined by the Department. A])art from their 
services on seagoing ships (in which they acted as substitutes for naval 
reserves and acquitted themselves far better than could have been 
reasonably expected, in view of their lack of training for such life) and 
of their services in the Coast iSignal Service (in which they more than 
fulfilled the highest expectations of their friends concerning them), the 
etficiency of the officers and men of the ]Sraval Militia mnst be judged 
from their work in the Auxiliary ISTaval Force. The character of the 
work performed was twofold — first, guard duty, and second, patrol duty. 
The scope of the former was limited to the possibilities of the old type of 
monitors. It must be remembered that these vessels were hastily pnt 
into service after having been laid up for a period of over thirty years 
and that after the most necessary repairs had been made at the iiavy- 
yards there was still a large amount of work which had to be done by 
their crews to fit them for the service for which they were intended. 
This was done cheerfully and well by officers and men, who were natu- 
rally anxious to be at the front, but who also fully appreciated the exi- 
gency which required coast-defense vessels to protect home ports. The 
routine duties of the first few weeks on these vessels were performed 
under very adverse circumstances, as repairs were going on (with the 
attendant noise, confusion, and dirt), painting was being done, and coal, 
provisions, etc., were being got on board. After the vessels had been 
cleaned up and the crews shaken down and they had reached their sta- 
tions a high degree of discipline and efficiency was attained. The 
crews were regularly exercised and drilled in boat work and artillery 
with the secondary batteries. Target practice was also performed with 
the old 15-inch smootlibore guns. 

Many of these vessels cruised from port to port in the district to 
which they were attached, went to sea for target practice, and entered 
harbors by day and night, thereby showing that the oflficers and men 
of the Naval Militia were thoroughly comi^etent to handle ships of 
that or a similar type, and there was no mishap of even the slight- 
est character on any of the ten monitors during the four and a half 
months in which they were in service. The monitors were brought 
back to be i)ut out of commission in excellent coiulition, and were so 
readily handled and manned by their officers and crews that it is fair 
to believe that the coast-defense vessels in the future can be turned 
over to the Naval Militia with entire confidence. The patrol duty was 
performed by converted yachts and tugs, and the officers and men dis- 
played special aptitude for this work, owing to their intimate knowl- 
edge of local waters. Their acquaintance with harbors and bases of 
supplies, with the local prevailing weather conditions, and with the land- 
marks which would have to be relied upon in case of the removal of the 
aids to navigation, make them the force ])ar c.rcelleiice for the work of 
an inshore patrol. In the duty of protecting the mine fields, the high 
order of intelligence of the officers and men, as well as their knowledge 
of the local personnel in the merchant marine, aided them in properly 
enforcing the harbor regulations and in dealing with merchantmen. 
Their officers also proved to have considerable ability in the handling 
of small vessels, and the fact that there were no accidents or casualties 
in the fleet shows that they were qualified to perform their duties. 
The results of their practice in scouting and reconnaissance work 
proved that they would have been of great value to the service if the 
seat of war had unfortunately been transferred to these shores. In order 



14 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

to illustrate the aptitude of these ofifieers for the character of service 
mentioned,! annex a copy of an " Information blank for signal and 
boat reconnaissance parties," returned by two of the officers attached 
to the Third district, who were sent to report upon the character of 
communication by water between Shinnecock Bay and Peconic Bay, 
houix Ishmd. New Y\)rk. (Appendix X.) 

It is not. however, merely in the performance of guard and patrol 
duty tiiat the Naval Militia has been of service to the Department, but 
iu many other ways, and the ofticers and men of the Xavy have cause 
for sincere thankfulness that the Naval Militia existed during the war 
■with Spain. Its ofticers and men have cheerfully and patiently endured 
the monotonous and often uninteresting duties connecte<l with shore 
stations and the coast defense. They put aside whatever ideas they 
might naturally have had of more active service at the front, and have 
tilled many humble and arduous posts in the uavy-yards, on receiving 
ships, and even in the offices of tlie Department. In this way many 
officers and men of the servi(;e were freed from these em))loyments and 
given a chance for exi)erience at the front in actual warfare, an experi- 
ence which every officer and man who enters the service covets, no 
matter from what source he entered it. It nuist have been a most grati- 
fying disappointment to those critics in the service who feared that in 
tinu' of war the officers of the Naval Militia would be tenacious of their 
rank iu the State service and overconfident as to their abilities, to see 
the manner in which they disregarded their titles and accepted com- 
missions of the lower grades, often performing under them work 
requiring the highest ability. Of the three captains of the Naval 
3Iilitia in the United States, one was given the grade of lieutenant- 
commander, owing to his long and honorable record in the Navy, and 
the other two Avere commissioned as lieutenauts. Of the commanding 
officers of battalions, none were given a higher grade than that of 
lieutenant, and some not higher than lieutenant, junior grade. 

It must be remembered that all of these men left good positions and 
incomes and that their presence iu the service was tlie only thing that 
enabled many regular officers to get to the front. As an evidence of 
the assistance that the Naval Militia has been to the Navy, I would 
cite the instance of one of the otticers who was assigned to duty in the 
De])artment at the outbreak of the war, and who was enabled to have 
a command owing to the exertions of an officer of the Naval Militia in 
getting an appropriation from which several vessels were purchased, 
it was a coincidence that, while this regular officer was absent at the 
front, his duties were performed for a time by the very officer who had 
secured the appropriation. There are many other instances which 
have probably come to the notice of the Department where work was 
patiently and well performed by the officers of the Naval 3Iilitia to the 
distinct advantage of the officers of the regular service, and the same 
holds Just as true of the petty officers and men. At unexpected times 
the efficiency of the Naval Militia was tested, notably when the U. S. S. 
Bufdlo and the U. S. S. Rainbow had to be taken from the Norfolk 
Navy- Yard to the navy-yard at New York. On the 16th of July it was 
necessary that these vessels should be sent at once to New York for 
alteration and repair, and there were no regular officers at the disposal 
of tlie i>ureau of Navigation to take them there. In the emergency I 
was called upon to furnish a detail of officers for both ships, the 
Buffalo being a vessel of 7,500 tons and the Bainbow of ^,254 tons. 
Lieut. William II. Stayton, U. S. N., commanding the U. S. S. Enquirer, 
and Lieut. E. M. Harmon, U. S. N., commanding the U. S. S. Xahant, 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 15 

were selected to command these vessels, respectively, and these officers, 
with a detail of seven others from the Third District, reported at the 
Norfolk Navy- Yard within twenty-four hours after I was requested 
to undertake this matter. The vessels were prepared for sea, crews 
from the receiving ship at Norfolk put on board, and the passage to 
New York safely accomplished, in spite of a dense fog which prevailed, 
and they were delivered to the commandant of the New York Navy- 
Yard, without the services of a pilot being employed, in the most sea- 
man-like manner and with the utmost despatch. Thirty one hours after 
the Buffalo passed out of the Yirginia (Japes Lieutenant Stayton tied 
her up at the dock in the New York Navy-Y'ard without the aid of 
a tug. 

In the routine work of the navj^-yard at Pensacola, Fla., services of 
the most practical and efficient kind were i^erformed by Lieut. J. G. 
Sutherland, U. S. N., my assistant in the Seventh district, who was on 
duty there in command of a contingent of the Auxiliary Naval Force, 
and much of the work of the naval station at Port IJoyal, S. C, was per- 
formed, during the war, by officers attached to this Force. In writing 
of the men of the Force (who came from the Naval Militia of South 
Carolina), the commandant of the Port Iloyal station expresses what 
seems to have been the general opinion which the regular officers 
formed of the men of the Naval Militia, when he says : '' They were intel- 
ligent and obedient young men, a credit to the service." The vessels 
assigned to duty at Montauk Point were very useful to the Marine- 
Hospital Service there, as is shown by a letter from Supervising Sur- 
geon-General Walter Wyman, M. H. S., which I annex hereto. (Appen- 
dix O.) These vessels were attached to the command of Lieut. Gom- 
mander J. W. Miller, LT. S. N., who, in connection with this and all the 
other duties intrusted to him, proved a most efficient and experienced 
officer. I wish also to commend the assistance rendered by Lieut. 
John W. Weeks, U. S. N., in charge of the Second district. Both of 
these officers showed the most untiring zeal in the organization and 
management of their commands. 

On the whole, the work of the officers and men from the Naval Militia 
was performed in a thorough and efficient manner; but our recent expe- 
rience shows that there is a certain class of work which they should 
not undertake to do. Their anxiety to see active service and to get 
away from receiving ships led many men of education to enlist as coal 
passers and in other ratings which they were not physically competent to 
fill. This, of course, was quickly discovered and easily remedied with- 
out mishap, and only resulted in the discomfiture of the men themselves. 
In some cases, too (while commissions were being given without exam- 
inations), officers undertook duties for which they were not properly 
qualified, but they were quick to realize their mistake and were assigned 
to duty which they were found competent to perform after going before 
examining boards. When it is considered that the Naval Militia put its 
men promptly in the service when they were most needed, and that no time 
or money had to be spent in arming, uniforming, or eipiipping them,it is 
apparent that the country realized the full benefit of the appropriations 
which have been made during the past six years and of the services 
which have been rendered by the Department in drilling and instruct- 
ing them. The most casual investigation of the subject shows that the 
State Naval Militias are popular and efficient organizations of the State 
service in almost all the States in which they exist. In my opinion the 
policy of the Department in carrying out the wise provisions made by 
Gongress to foster and develop the Naval Militias of the States should 



16 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

be continued in tlie luture. Tlie success of those organizations wliich 
Lave received tlie best support from tlieir respective States shows that 
the etforts of the Department sliould be directed to encouraging and 
raising the standard of those located in States less able to provide for 
their naval forces. Of course disparities in personnel, in climate, and 
in State appropriations will always result in differences in the Xaval 
Militias of the States, and it seems to me that it is only by a careful 
study of the existing conditions and the granting by Congress to the 
])epartment of a greater latitude in applying the appropriations that 
the best results can be obtained. No general rule or standard can be 
made that will api)]y. The Department has made a wise selection in 
detailing Lieut. W.'ll. II. Southerland, U. S. N., to take charge of the 
Naval Militia interests, and the work of development should be prose- 
cuted along the line of the suggestions made in the last report of the 
Secretary of the Navy. 

In \iew of the State support given to the Naval Militia and of their 
local i)opularity, they can never be converted into a United States 
luival reserve, and no attempt should be made to accomplish this, lu 
the dominant enuHgcncy of the war they were diverted to a certain 
extent from the services for which they were intended in the second 
line of defense, and were used as a luival reserve. They were called 
upon (as has been shown herein above) to augment the crews of blue 
jackets on our lighting ships, and furnished entire complements of offi- 
cers and men for auxiliary cruisers (which in many instances were used 
as fighting ships), and in various ways were employed to supplement 
and assist in the work of the Navy. This should never happen again. 
The necessity of establishing a United States Xaval IJeserve, which the 
Department has for many years pointed out, has been most thoroughly 
proved. The time is appropriate to ask for legislation on the subject, 
and the Department can no doubt rely on the sagacity and energy of 
the i)resent Committees on Naval Affairs in the Senate and House of 
Kei)resentatives to procure the authority of law. 

:My position as chief of the Auxiliary Naval Force has given me an 
()l)portunity to observe the various conditions prevailing on the Atlan- 
tic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, and the possibilities in the way of personnel 
and nnit(''riel. 1 have also had the benefit of the ideas on this subject 
of oflicers from all of the nine districts, who have been interested in 
it and made it a study. During this war the situations which con- 
stantly developed and the problems which arose for prom])t solution 
made i)laiii the ])roper relation between the Naval ^Militiaand a United 
States Naval Reserve, and suggested the most natural, easy, and eco- 
nomical method of obtaining the latter. It has become apparent in the 
first ])lace that the Naval Militia has a distinct and important func- 
tion to ])erform in the second line of defense; that a certain proportiou 
of its officers and men (which number can be increased by the guid- 
ance of the Department) is capable of becoming a part of a United 
States Naval lieserve, but that, for the latter purpose, most of the naval 
militiamen have not had sufficient experience at sea. Let us then 
revise the (character of the instruction and drill given to the Naval 
Militia and give them better op])ortunities to become familiar with the 
vessels and guns which they will be expected to man and handle, so 
that at the conclusion of a man's term of active service therein and 
when he is a Naval Militia " veteran '' he will be competent to pass into 
the I'nited States Naval lieserve. After their experience in this war, 
l)robably !•(» per cent of the officers and men who came into the service 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 17 

from the Naval Militia are competent to fill, in a United States Naval 
Keserve, the grades and ratings which tliey held at the time of their 
honorable discharge. Moreover, it is not improbable that the popu- 
larity of our branch of the service and the well merited applause with 
which these men have been received at home would lead them to enter 
a naval reserve. Legislation authorizing this would at once furnish a 
strong nucleus for the personnel of a United States Naval Reserve, 
widely distributed over the country and far-reaching in its influence 
for the advancement of the general interests of the Navy. 

Another branch of the service, most important in the formation of a 
United States Naval Reserve, is the Revenue Marine Service. The per- 
sonnel of this service is well disciplined, of a high order of intelhgence, 
and most intimately acquainted with the harbors and channels of our 
seacoast. They are seafaring men, and only need instruction in gun- 
nery and the mechanical appliances on board a man-of-war to make 
them men-of war's men. The personnel of the United States Life Sav- 
ing Service has also proved in the war that it would fill a most valuable 
place in a United States Naval Reserve, and the same is true of the 
United States Light-House Service. The large body of competent 
officers, engineers, and seamen of our merchant njarine was hardly 
drawn upon in this war, except in cases where vessels were purchased 
or chartered and some or all of their officers and crews entered the 
service with them. There will be found, however, in the hist number 
of the Navy Register and in the files of the Bureau of Navigation the 
names of many officers and men from the merchant marine who entered 
the service in the manner indicated, and these should be included, when 
a United States Naval Reserve is created, and their fellow officers and 
men in the merchant service stimulated to cjualify for admission. I 
annex a draft of a bill which follows the lines of H. R. 6346, introduced 
in the Fifty-fifth Congress, second session, but which carries out the 
suggestions above made, and I respectfully submit it for the considera- 
tion of the Department. (Appendix P.) 

A ITnited States Naval Reserve organized on this basis would be com- 
petent to supply the personnel and to a large extent the matt'riel of a 
Naval Coast defense System. Judging from our recent experiences such 
a system should include: (1) An inshore jxdrol fieet, composed of reve- 
nue cutters, light house tenders, and vessels already in the possession 
of the Department, or to be acquired for that purpose, and officered and 
manned by United States naval reserves belonging to («) the Revenue- 
Cutter Service, (?>) the Light-House Service, {c) those who come from 
the Naval Militia, {d) those who come from the merchant marine; (2) 
a coast signal service, consisting of specially erected signal stations and 
those established at lighthouses, life-saving stations, and Weather 
Bureau offices, officered and manned by United States naval reserves, 
{a) who come from the Naval Militia, (b) who belong to the United 
States Life-Saving Service, [c] who belong to the United States Light- 
House Service, and assisted by the observers of the Weather Bureau; 
(3) a port (jvard and torpedo Jieet, consisting of coast defense vessels, 
monitors and tori)edo boats, officered and manned by United Statesnaval 
reserves, (a) who come from the Naval Militia, {h) who come from the mer- 
chant marine; and (4) a navigating reserve, from which to supply the 
emergency needs of the Navy and the vacancies caused by casualties, 
comprising receiving ships or stations, at which in time of war should be 
assembled all the United States naval reserves from the various sources 
indicated who are qualified as seamen, except those detailed for duty 
6827 2 



18 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

in the first and third branches of the Xaval Coast-defense System 
enumerated above. 

In such a Xaval Coast-defense System the Xaval Militia would till a 
most important part. Lieut. J. C. Colwell. U. S. ^".. writing ou the 
subject of "Xaval Keserve and Coast Defense" in 18S8. says in this 
regard : •• The Xaval Militia branch is placed first in importance because 
it Is upon the coast defenders that at first the bruut of a maritime war 
would fall, and the men to bear the weight of a foreign naval attack 
should have the best system of organization, drill, and equipment that 
it is possible to give. ' The organization being local, the ofiicers and 
men would have an intimate knowledge of the ca]»abilities of their 
immediate neighborhood for oft'ense and defense, and would be much 
more valuable at such a place than would a body of entirely strange 
seafaring men suddenly ordered to that service." The Xaval Militia 
has brought the Xavy in touch with the people in a way in wliich 
nothing else could have done in time of peace. It is a valued addition 
to the military establishment of the various States, and when more 
fully develoi)ed will be a stepping-stone to the United States Xaval 
Eeserve. It should be to a large extent a school foi' the utficers of the 
latter, and from the United States Xaval Reserve alone should acces- 
sions to the fighting strength of the Xavy be made in time of war. In 
such a gradual develoi>ment. the intelligent and patriotic citizen may 
serve his State as a naval militiaman and thus be enabled to qualify 
as a United States naval reserve, and in time of war go into active 
service with a degree of i)rofieiency which will release him from the 
performance of ser^"ice in those ratings which call simply for physical 
labor, and enable him to exercise the highest percentage of his efficiency. 

The large amount of detail connected with the administration of the 
Auxihary Xaval Force greatly restricted my opportunities for person- 
ally visiting the several districts and inspecting tlie vessels. To an 
unusual extent the successful operation of the service depended upon 
an intelligent execution of orders issued from head»iuarters. I wish to 
congratulate the officers and men of the Force on the results which they 
attained despite the necessary haste in which it was inaugurated and 
their lack of practical experience, and to commend them for their faith- 
fulness and zeal. 

My assistants in charge of the several districts have given unre 
mitting and faithful attention to their exacting and arduous duties, 
and I am under great obligation to them for their zealous and intelli- 
gent handling of the details of the work of the Force during its season 
of activity and for the expedition and thoroughness which have marked 
all the steps incident to bringing its operations to a close. I append 
copies of the forms of honorable discharge given to officers and enlisted 
men. (Appendix Q.) 

I esteem myself particularly fortunate in having had the assistance of 
Lieut. Herbert L. Satterlee. T'. S. X.. as my chief of staff. For years past 
he has been identified with the most progressive efforts for the practical 
development of the Xaval Militia and its advancement in efficiency. In 
the present emergency he has labored day and night with untiring 
energy, and his services have been of the highest value in the aid he 
has rendered in connection with the management of the details of the 
work. Through his assistance, also, I am enabled to make the present 
report much more full than, with the pressure of other duties, would 
otherwise be possible. I would suggest that the Department avail 
itself, whenever practicable, of Lieutenant Satterlee's familiarity with 
Ifaval ^lilitia matters. 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 19 

I am much indebted to the chiefs of the several bureaus for their 
always ready assistance and their desire to further the prompt dispatch 
of business, which might otlierwise have been sadly hampered by too 
great regard for nonessentials of form and routine. " 

In closing my report I wish particularly to thank the Department 
for the confidence that has been placed in me, enabling me to carry on 
successfully this important duty, which has so often required prompt 
decision and immediate action. 
Very respectfully, 

John K. Bartlett, 
Captain, United States Xavy (Retired), 
Chief United States Auxiliary Xaval Force. 
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy. 



Appendix A. 

March 23, 1808. 

SiH : You are hereby directed to prepare, with all possible dispatch, a scheme for 
utilizing the available resources of onr Atlantic ports iu the formation of a mosquito 
flotilla in general accordance with the methods proposed by the Naval War College. 

Von will suggest for each important locality the names of suitable vessels, in such 
numbers as you may think proper, and fitted as improvised gun vessels, rams, or 
torpedo boats; their arniameut, if any; how and where obtained and mounted; how 
their captains and crews may be secured from the merchant service or Naval Militia; 
the proposed appointments as volunteer oiticers, or ratings as enlisted men; and you 
will prei)are an organization for the whole coast, and rules for the government of 
each local division. 

The I)ei)artment confines itself to indicating the outlines of what it desires, leav- 
ing the details to your discretion. It reminds you that promptness, efficiency, and. 
economy are necessary. 

You will submit, as soon as possible, a, resume of your scheme, which must be so 
perfected that it can be put into instant execution on the issuing of orders from the 
Department. 

You are authorized to ])erform such travel as may be needed, and directed to 
report from time to time your movements. 

It is suggested that you make New York your headquarters. In that event the 
commandant of the navy-yard at that place will give you such clerical aid as you 
may re(|uire. The demand for officers is so great that it is impossible to assign you 
other assistants. You are hereby detached from present duties. 
Very respectfully. 



Commander Horace I^oier, U. S. N., 

Cramp's Shipyard, Phihidelpliia, Pa. 



John D. Long, Secretary. 



Appendix B. 



April 14, 1898. 
Sir: Referring to your letter of the I3th instant, you will please arrange the 
difi'erent districts iu connection with the coast-defense system with the mosquito 
flotilla, so that each district will conform with the corresponding district as sub- 
divided by the Light-House Board of the Treasury Department. 
Respectfully, 



Commander Horace Elmer, U. S. N., 

Navy- Yard, New York, K. Y. 



John D. Long, Secretary. 



Appendix C. 

April 19, 1898. 

Sir: Referring to the Department's older of the 23d ultimo, and to subsequent 
letteis addressetl to you iu regard to a scheme for utilizing the available resources 
of the Atlantic ports in the formation of a mosquito flotilla, you are hereby directed 
to take charge of the foiiuation of said mos(iuito flotilla, in accordance with the 
above-mentioned correspondence and with the following, by which you will be 
guided : 

It is, of course, impossible to move actively in the matters with which you are 
charged until war is declared and the President calls out the Naval Militia. In the 
meantime you are directed to use all possible dispatch to perfect your scheme, so 
20 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 21 

that at each port the vessels you propose to assion to the defense will be selected, 
theii' anuamont allotted upon your request by the Chief of the Bureau of Orduaiice, 
and held in readiness for your orders. Contracts should be prepared for the work 
to be done upon the vessels in local establishments. The officers of the Naval Militia 
who are to command the vessels should be nominated for your consideration by the 
local chief of the Naval Militia and the interest of these officers enlisted, and the 
crews (also from the Naval Militia) set apart, by name, for each particular ship. 

The officers should be given to understand that they are to receive acting appoint- 
ments in the United States Navy, and the men that they are to enlist for one year, or 
during tht^ war, unless sooner discharged. The officers and men should be kept 
together as far as practicable, and the men should serve under their own officers. 
In short, every possible latitude is left to your discretion in the planning. When 
directed to put your plan into execution, nothing more should be required than to 
send teh'graphic instructions to the officers, and every person interested will, pre- 
sumably, know what to do and carry out the instructions with dispatch. 

The officers assigned to the different districts of the system of coast defense, iu 
connection with the mos(|uito flotilla, will be directed to report to you. 

Keep tlie Department fully advised as to all the developments in connection with 
this duty. 

Respectfully, 

John D. Long, Secretary. 

Commander Hokace Elmer, U. S. N., 

In charge of Mosqidto Flotilla Work, Xar/f-Yard, Xeiv York, X. Y. 



Appendix D. 



Navy Department, Office of Assistant Secretary, 

IVasMnf/ton D. C, April 2S, 1S98. 
Sir: The Department returns herewith the telegram to Commander Horace Elmer 
from the commanding officer of the Maryland Naval Militia, which was inclosed in 
your letter of April 27. A similar telegram has been received by the Department. 

The Department incloses herewith copy of a joint resolution providing for the 
organization and enrollment of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force for coast 
defense, which is now being C(msidered by Congress. Until the passage of this act 
it will not be possible to carry out the inteutious of the Department with regard to 
this organization. Under the naval appropriation act the Department is now making 
appointments of acting officers, but it is intended that they shall serve iu the Regular 
Navy. The United States Auxiliary Naval Force is to be an entirely separate organ- 
ization, appointments and enlistments being made by you, as chief of the United 
States Auxiliary Naval Force, as soon as there shall be a warrant by law. Under 
the terms of the naval appropriation act appointments of officers are made only to 
the rank of lieutenant and below. In the various State organizations there are sev- 
eral Naval Militia officers above this rank whose services can not be utilized afloat, 
nor would it, in the judgment of the Department, be wise to give them grades higher 
than lieutenant in the Auxiliary Naval Force. As the coast is to be divided into 
districts, and each district is to have a naval officer at its head, the appointments 
and enlistments in the United States Auxiliary Naval Force will be left to you and 
your assistants, subject to the approval of the Navy Dejiartment. As it has been 
stated above, however, it will be necessary to wait the action of Congress before 
any appointments or enlistments are made. 

Very respectfully, T. Roosevelt, 

Assistant Secretary. 
Rear- Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., 

In charge of Count- I>efen8e System, U. S. Naval liendezvons, 

No. 66 South street, New York, N. Y. 



Appendix E. 

Navy Department, 
Washington, D. C, May 6, 1S98. 
Sir: Referring to the question of the patrol of defensive mine fields at the differ- 
ent harbors where the Auxiliary Defense Fleet is stationed. 

The De])artmeut considers that the maintenance of the mine fields in proper con- 
dition and repair, and the furnishing of necessary craftfor doing that work, devolves 
upon the War Department. 



22 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

Such of the smaller vessels of the Auxiliary Defense Fleet as you may think 

proper, when not required for duty of a more strictly military character, will be 

employed in patrolliui;- the neighborhood of the mine fields forthe purpose of obliging 

friendly vessels to cross the same by and through the ehaunels that have been marked 

for that i)urpo8e by the Army. 

Respectfully, c . 

John D. Long, Secretary. 

Rear-Admiral Henry Erben, U. 8. N., 

In Charge Auxiliary Defense Fleet. 



Appendix F. 



Navy Department, 

Washin(jton, May 17, 1898. 

Sir: After cousultation with the War Department, this Dejjartment has consented 
to patrol the mine fields of the various ports, in so far as may be necessary to oblige 
vessels crossing the said fields to keep in the channels marked by the Army ; and the 
Navy will also patrol the mine fields for the purpose of military defense against the 
enemy, the Army to maintain their mine fields in proper repair and condition for 
service. 

This will be one of the duties of the Auxiliary Naval Force for coast defense, and 
you will give the uecessary instructions iu the various districts to carry this into 
efi'ect as soon as you are furnished with a sufficient number of vessels ready for service. 
Very respectfully, 

Chas. H. Allen, 
Afisistant Secretary, 
Rear-Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., 

39 Whitehall Street, New York City. 



Appendix (i. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ENLISTMENT OF AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

Navy Department, 

Ifashinyton, May 26, 1S9S. 

1. Officers and men must be given one year's leave from the State authorities. 

2. At the top of the first and main sheets of the enlistment records must be noted, 
in red ink, "Auxiliary Naval Force." 

3. The enlistments must be made for " one year's general service, unless sooner 
discharged," which must be indorsed, with red ink, on the first and main sheets of 
the enlistment records. 

4. On the same sheets must also be noted, "discharge will be granted, upon re- 
quest, provided the exigencies of the service will permit." 

5. Officers must lie examined for the grades to which they may be appointed for 
one year if successful and according to the duties they will be expected to perform. 

6. Men will be examined for the ratings which they will be expected to hold, and 
will be enlisted according to article 797, paragraphs i and 2, Navy Regulations, 1896. 
Petty officers will then be given acting appointments by their commanding officers. 

7. Officers and men will be examined physically, and slight disabilities will be 
waived, taking into consideration the duties to be performed. Age and height limits 
will also be waived. 

8. All disabilities waived will be entered on the enlistment records or attached 
to the appointnu'nt.s. 

Respectfully, A. S. Crownixshield, 

Chief of Bureau. 
The Secretary of the Naay. 

Approved, 

John D. Long, Secretary. 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 23 

APPENDIX H. 

EXAMINATION FOR GRADE OF LIEUTENANT. 

SEAMANSHIP. 

Storm trysail : Describe, get up from below, beiul and set. 
Trysail already bent: Describe and set. 
Describe varioii.s anchors, naming parts. 
Anchors on bows : Get oft' and let go. 

Ship anchored: Get under way. Describe each action in turn. 
Chains: All about them. Bring to, slipping, shot bitter end and hoAv and where 
made fast, mooring swivels, shackles, how placed on chain. 
Compressors and controllers: Shackle pins and marking. 
Describe process of leading out an anchor with small boat or boats. 
Shift from steam to hand steering gear. 
Relieving tackles. 
Rudder head gone : What do ? 
Rudder gone : What do ? 

Rudder gone with other vessel in company: What do? 
Heave to. 

Heave to with a drag. 

Heave to with a sea anchor, which describe. 
Use of oil. 

Sight a light at night : What do? 
Man overboard ; boats swung in : Describe every action until man is picked up. 

XAVIGATIOX. 

Box the compass in quarter jioints. 

Hand lead, coasting lead, and deep-sea lead: Their weights; their lines; how to 
mark and how to heave them. Heave deep-sea lead on twin-screw vessel. 

Describe arming; its purpose; how the dead-reckouiug is checked by it; what 
does arming bring to the surface? Describe Walker's sounding machine. 

Describe Sir William Thompson's sounding apparatus and depth recorder, and 
how it is operated. 

Mark the log line, and give formula for 28 second glass. 

Describe one or two patent logs; two kinds of dials. 

Barometer: What is high, low, normal? Relation of thermometer to barometer. 
Rising or falling barometer indicates what? 

Laws of storms; what two motions have they. Northern hemisphere ; how to 
find the center; how to avoid it; how act in any position? When and how heave to? 

Heave to below Hatteras; above Hatteras; in easterly storm. 

Describe the various kinds of charts, and how each is used; what are the mean- 
ings of symbols and letters on charts, tirst, second, third column? 

Why is there no scale on Mercator's chart, and how are distances measured 
thereon ? 

Use of compass on chart. 

Danger angles. 

Great circle sailing. 

Rules of the road. 

Buoys: What kind, what shape; how placed? 

Coast lights, light-ships on Eastern coast of United States. 

Character of coast, dangers, etc. 

Depth of water in chaunels of New York Harbor. 

Range lights, etc., for this district. 

Describe the day's work from sunrise to sunrise. 

Work position up on dead reckoning. 

Meaning of distance: departure; middle latitude. 

Correct courses for deviation, variation, lee way, and current sailing. 

Correct sextant for all errors. 

What sights are taken during twenty -four hours, and for what purpose? 

Position by cross-bearings. 

Position by 2 and 4 point bearings of one light or object 

Position by i and 8 point bearings of one light or object. 

Describe noon sight for latitude. 

Describe time sight for longitude. 



24 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

What is hour angle? 

Descrilic amplitude, and when and how taken. 

Describe a/iiimth, and when and how taken. 

Describe latitude bv ex-meridian. 

Describe 8ummers method and its uses; line of position, line of bearing, relation 
of that line to the unobserved body. 

Suniiaer's method, two lines of bearing. 

Mow could a Summer's line be used in coast navigation? 

Latitude by Polaris. 

Latitude by meridian .altitude of the moon, or a star. 

Ltmgiludi' liv time sight of a star. 

What is the best time to take a time sight, and why? 

Describe mean time; apparent time; sidereal time. 

Describe the chronometer, its care, its use. 

Rating the chronometer in a harbor of the United States; in foreign harbors. 

What must be jiositively kiuiwn in order to obtain correct rating? 

The compass error and its corre(^ti()ns. 

Describe thi' magnetism of an iron or steel ship. 

Etfect of hard or soft iron and how to correct. 

Place compass and correct by (1; bearing of an object, (2) by reciprocal bearings. 
What signals used in this latter wt)rk ? Quadrantal deviation; note position of 
correctors; (3) heeling error. 

What is a Flinder"s bar? 

Construct a Na])ier's curve. 

(iive sing-song for recollecti(ui of working. 

STKAMSIIIl'S. 

The steering engine and its correction. 

After-screw steering gear and how connected to rudder head. 

Describe ancht)r engines. 

Describe cargo winches, English and American, and how worked. 

Get up steam in donkey boiler. 

Rig hoisting boom with its gear. 

Remedy for anchor or cargo engines pounding. 

Eftect of screw on ship's head. 

Stability of ships, and how corrected. 

Bulkheads, number of, and how built. 

Limliers and valves, water-tight doors. 

NAVAL BRIGADE. 

Arm and away boats. 

Land through the surf on enemy's coast. 

Describe boat line of attack. 

Deploy skirmishers and divide your force into its proper elements. 

Place the commanding ottieer. 

SIGNALS. 
Method of setting. 
International code. 
Navy code. 
Wigwag and shapes. 
Ardois system of night signaling. 

GUNNERY. 

Slow-firing guns. 

Quick-tiring guns. 

Rapid-fire guns. 

Cun mounts. 

Recoil cylinder, how tilled? 

Recoil of large gnns; small guns. 

Automatic guns; describe. 

Describe the various breech mechanisms. 

Name the sights, and describe them. 

Gas checks; breech plugs. 

Shot, shrajmel, shell. Descrilte armor-piercing shells. 

Describe all kinds of percussion and time fuses. 

Primers. 



UNITED 8TATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 



25 



Appendix I. 

FORM OF COMMISSION. 

United States of America. 
navy department, washington, d. c. 



To all who shall xee these presents, tjreeting : 
Know ye that, reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, 

^jjg President of the United States does hereby 

in the United States Navy, from the day of , 



fidelity, and abilities of 
appoint him 



one thousand eiglit hundred and ninety 

Ho is, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duties of an officer of 
said grad«- by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging. And 
all officers, seamen, and marines under his command are strictly charged and 
required to be obedient to his orders as an officer of said grade. And he is to observe 
and follow such orders and directions from time to time as he shall receive from the 
President of the Inited States of America, or his superior officer set over him 
according to the rules and discipline of the Navy. 

This to be in force during the continuance of the exigency under which 

his services are required in the existing war and during the pleasure of the Presi- 
dent of the United States for the time being. 

Giveu under my hand and seal at Washington this day of - 

and in the year of the Independence of the United States 

By the President : 

[seal.] 



-,189 



Registered No. 



Secreiary of the Navy. 



Registrar. 



Appendix J. 

List of ri'ssels purchased under the appropriation carried by " Public Resolution No. 34." 



Class. 


Old name. 


New name. 


Date of pur- 
chase. 


Tug 


J. D. Jones 




May 18,1898 
June 3, 1898 
June 4, 1898 
June 15, 1898 
Do 


So 


Kate Jones 




Do 


Bristol 




Do 






Do 


Confidence 




Yacht 


Stranger 




June 6,1898 
Do 


Do 


Huntress 




Do 


Eugenia 




Jnne 7, 1898 

Do. 
June 9,1898 
June 11,1898 

Do 


Do 






Do 


Enquirer 




Do 


Svlvia 




Do 






Do 


Kanawha 




Do 


Do 


295 


Svlph 


June 13 1898 


Do 


Eltiida 


Elfrida 


Do 











The yacht Freelance was presented to the Government, for the war, by her owner, 
F. Augustus Schermerhorn, Esq., of New York. 



Appendix Ja. 

The following is a list of the vessels used as receiving ships for men of the Auxil- 
iary Naval Force, with the dates on which they were received from the States to 
which they had been loaned for use by the Naval Militia, the dates when they were 
made receiving ships, and the dates when they were returned to the various States : 

1. The l^ S. S. Minnesota, at Boston, was received from the State of Massachusetts 
June 1."); made a receiving ship on .lulv 13, and returned to the State on Septem- 
ber 14. 



26 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

2. The U. S. S. New Hampshire, nt New York, was received from the State of New 
York on .June 14; made a receiving ship July 13, and returned to the State on Sep- 
tember 14. 

3. The U. S. 8. St. Louis, at Philadelphia, was received from the State of Pennsyl- 
vania on July 2; made a receiving ship on July 2, and returned to the State on 
September 15. 

4. The U. S. S. Dale, at Baltimore, was received from the State of Maryland on 
June 17; made a receiving ship on July 13, and returned to the State on Septem- 
ber 14. 

5. The U. S. S. Portsmouth, at Hoboken, N. .1., was received from the State of New 
Jersey on Juno 17; made a receiving ship on July 15, and returned to the State on 
September 14. 



Appendix K. 



Na \' Y 1 )E I'A RTMKNT, 

Washington, Juh/ 9, 1898. 
Sir: Under the provisions of Public Resolution No. 34, approved May 26, 1898, you 
will assume the duties of chief of thi' United States Auxiliary Naval Force, with 
he;id(iuarrers in the Navy Department, Washington, D. C, and will be governed 
hereafter in the performance of your duties, as chief of said Auxiliary Naval Force, 
by the provisions of the above-mentioned resolution and by the instructions con- 
tained in a letter addressed to Rear-Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., retired, by the 
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, dated the 28th of April last. 
Respectfully, 

John D. Long, Secretary. 
Capt. John R. 1>arti.ett, U. S. X., Retired, 

Chief Intelligence Officer, Navi/ Department, Washington, D. C. 

Received July 9, 4 p. m., 1898. 

JoHN^R. Bartlett, 

Captain, U. S. N., Retired. 



Appendix Ka. 

FORM OF CERTIFICATE. 
Navy Department, 
washington, d. c. 

This is to certify that was physically and professionally examined by 

naval examining boards at , found duly qualified for the naval service, 

and recommended for appointment as a . 

The proceedings and recommendations of the examining boards were approved by 
the Department, but by reason of the early termination of hostilities and the exi- 
gencies of the service not requiring further apiiointments the Department has been 
unable to accept his tender of his services. 

This certificate is therefore issued as an expression of the Department's apprecia- 
tion of the patriotism and fidelity of the above-named citizen, who tendered his 
services to his country and held himself ready to brave the perils of the sea and 
hazard the unknown dangers of war. 

Given under my hand and seal of the Navy Department this day of 

-, 1S98. 



[seal.] 



Secretary of the Nary. 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 



27 



Appendix L. 

Followiuj; are the number of officers and men of the naval militia of the several 
States who entered the United States naval service for the period of the war with 
Spain: 



California 

Coniiecticut 

Florida 

Illinois 

Louisiana 

Maryland 

Masrtachusetta . 

Miclii<;an 

New Jersey 

New STork 

North Carolina. 
Pennsylvania .. 
Rhode Island . . 
South Carolina . 
Virsrinia 



Lieuten- 
ant-com- 
mander. 



Total. 



Lieuten- 
ants. 



Lieuten- 
ants 
(junior 
grade). 



En- 
signs. 



Mates. 



Sur- 
geons. 



Engi- 
neers. 



Pay- 
mas- 
ters. 



Petty offi- 
cers and 
enlisted 
men. 



40 
188 

57 
709 
215 
178 
400 
264 
279 
805 
189 

92 
143 
211 

62 



3,832 



Appendix M. 

location of the vessels attached to the united states auxiliary naval 
force on august 12, 1898. 



U. S. S. Actice, at San Francisco, Cal. 

U. S. M. Ajax, at anchor off League Island Navy-Yard. 

U. S. S. Aileen, on station at Montauk Point, Long Island, Xew York. 

U. S. S. Arctic, at Newcastle, Del. 

U. S. M. Canonicus, at Leagne Island Navy- Yard. Not in commission. 

U. S. M. Catakill, at anchor, Lower Harbor, Boston, Mass. 

U. S. S. Cheyenne, at Key West, Fla. 

U. S. S. Chickasaw, at Key West, Fla. 

U. S. K. C. Cunvin, at San Diego, Cal. 

U. S. R. S. Dale, at Baltimore, Md. 

U. S. S. Choctaw, at Pensacola Navy-Y'ard. 

U. S. S. Elfrida, on station in "The Narrows," New York Harbor, New York. 

U. S. S. Enquirer, at New York Navy-Yard. Out of commission. 

U. S. S. Freelance, at New York, N. Y. 

U. S. R. C. Crant, cruising ort' coast of Alaska. 

U. S. S. Huntress, at New York, N. Y. 

U. S. S. Iioxt, on station, mine fields, Boston Harbor. 

U. S. S. Irotjuois, cruising off San Francisco, Cal. 

U. S. M. Jason, at anchor off Fishers Island, New York. 

U. 8. M. Leiiigh, at anchor. Proviucetowu, Mass. 

U. S. T. B. Manlji, at navy-yard. New York, N. Y. Not in commission. 

II. S. M. Mahopar. at Leagne Island Navy- Yard. Not in commission. 

U. S. M. Montauk, at anchor off Portland, Me. 

U. S. M. Manhattan, at League Island Navy-Yard. 

U. S. R. S. Minnesota, at Boston Navy-Yard. 

U. S. M. Xahant, at anchor off Tompkinsville, N. Y. 

U. S. M. Xantucket, at anchor off Port Royal, S. C. 

U. 8. R. S. Xew Hampshire, foot East Twenty-eighth street, New York City, N. Y. 

U. S. M. Passaic, at anchor, Port Eads, La. 

U. S. R. C. Perrtj, at Astoria, Oreg. 

U. S. S. Powhatan, on station, Mobile entrance, Alabama. 

U. S. S. Restless, at New York, N. Y. 

U. S. R. C. Exish, at San Francisco, Cal. 

U. S. R. S. St. Louis, at Philadelphia, Pa. 



28 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

U. S. S. Seminole, at Boston Navy-Yard. 

U. S. S. Shearwater, at New York Navy- Yard. Not in commission. 

U. S. S. Syli)h, at League Island Navy-Yard. Not in commission. 

U. S. S. Tacoma, at Pensacola Navy- Yard. 

U. S. .S. Vigilant, at San Francisco, Cal. 

U. S. S. ITaban, at Key West, Fla. 

U. S. M. Wyandotte, at Boston Navy- Yard. 

A total of forty-one vessels. 

(Form No. 5 N M.) 

INFORMATION BLANK FOR SIGNAL AND BOAT RECONNOISSANCE PARTIES. 

Name, rank, or rating of person eollecting information: William C. Bliss, ensign, 

U. .S. N. 
District, Third coast defense: d;ite, August 8, 1898. 
Locality: Long Island, New York (Shinueeock Canal from Peconic Bay to Shinne- 

cock Bay.) 

"Expedition made by four boats from Auxiliary Naval Fleet. Entered canal from 
Peconic Bay at about 9.40 a. ni., the tide in the bay then being within forty-four 
minutes of low water. Sounding of entrance showed a wide seiuicircular bar, with 
a depth of not more than li feet at any spot. Bottom sandy. Entrance protected 
by jetties (spile and riprap) extending about 7.") feet from high-water mark. Some 
30 feet off tlie entrance a depth of 4 feet was found, and between the jetties, which 
extend about 200 feet inland, an averagi' depth of 5 feet in the middle and shoaling to 
either side. Shore, sandy formation. Two hundred feet from inshore end of jetty an 
indentation surrounded l)y salt marsh makes to the east. On the w^est side the 
land rises from the shore very gradually. 

" Following on up the canal, pine groves with rising land appear on both sides. 
The canal bends to the west around a slight ])oint of its west bank and then extends 
almost due south into Shiunecock Bay. After rounding this point the canal leads 
under the Montank Division of Long Island Kailroad, and from a point al)out 125 
feet below the bridge, it is bordered by spile-sheathed retaining walls extending 500 
feet soTith from the railroad bridge. From this point to Shiunecock Bay the banks 
are natural. The railroad bridge crosses the canal at right angles and is a plate 
girder bridge some 20 feet high, supported by a trestle work resting on stone foun- 
dation. The canal is somewhat choke<l beneath this bridge, stone having been 
dumped in to protect foundations of the bridge. 

"A strong tide of some 6 knots sets through at this point. The tide runs eight 
hours on the ebb into Peconic Bay and four hours on the dood at all other points 
except the railroad bridge. The tide runs some 3 or 4 knots w hen at its strength. 
From this bridge the land slopes giadually to the sea level. About 200 feet south 
of the railroad bridge is a set of water gates with 23-f()()t openings, ami 100 feet 
farther south a highway drawbridge with a 20-foot opening. From this bridge 
the canal extends south some 3r)0 feet and opens into Shiunecock Bay. The sound- 
ings show a minimum depth of 2 feet and a maximum of 30 feet. Probably not 
more than 4 feet draft could be taken through at high water. With a little dredg- 
ing 6 feet could be taken thiough. 

"A telegraph line follows the Long Island Railroad, with offices at ' Good Ground,' 
WSW. of railroad bridge, distant 1 mile, and at Southampton, E. | S., distant 7 
miles. 

"Telephone connections, long and short distance, may be had at Canoe Place, 
W. + S., one-fourth mile from railroad bridge. A suitable spot for a camp ground 
may be found on either side of the railroad bridge, the land being high and well 
drained and communication by water and railroad, as well as by telegraph, being 
easily at hand and availal)le. 

"A signal station might well l>e located at the same spot, a signal pole being visible 
from either bay. The canal could easily be protected against an enemy, there being 
plenty of good cover on commanding ground. The reconnaisance party included 
Lieut. Commander J. W. Miller, Lieut. R. P. Forshew, Ensign W. C. Aufermann, 
Ensign W. H. Carry, and Ensign VV. C. Bliss. 

(Signed) " " William C. Bliss, Ensiqn, U. S. X." 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 29 

Appendix N. 




Approx. Len^tti of Cahj-I . •%. mile . 
Avcr-i,^e width, <^boL/■^ 75 fccK 



C-.;jo.U.6.M- 



F'ccoNic 3/\y |i 



30 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

Appendix C>. 

Tkeasu ky Uepaktjient, 
Office of the Supervising Suhgeon-General 

Marine-Hospital Service, 
Washlnnto)!, I). C, September 22, 1S98. 
Dear Sir: The temporary niaritime iiuarantiiie station established by this Service 
at Moutauk I'oint, New York, having been closed, I desire to express to you the 
thanks of this Service for your assistance in furnishing two patrol vessels which 
■were necessary for the proper conduct of thf (luarantiue. 

The Secretiiry of the Treasury has addressi-d a letter to the Secretary of the Navy 
acknowledging the services rendered by these vessels, but I wish in addition to 
record in this letter the value of the duties performed by said vessels and my apiire- 
ciation of your personal active interest in the matter. 
Respectfully, yours, 

Walter Wyman, 
Superrlsiinj Surgeon- (letieral Marine-Hospital Service. 
Capt. John R. Bartlett, LT. S. N.. 

Chief United States Auxiliary Naral Force. 

Nan/ Department, Washington, 1). C. 



Appendix P. 

A BILL TO ESTABLISH A UNITED STATES NAVAL RESERVE. 

Beit enacted hy the Senate and llonse of Bepresentatires of the United States of America 
in Congress assembled, That a United States Naval Reserve is herein and hereby estab- 
lished, to consist of all such of the otitieers, petty ofHcers, and men who entered the 
United States Navy or the United States Auxiliary Naval Force for service during 
the war with Spain, and who have received, or shall I'eceive, honorable discharges 
therefrom, as may enroll therein, such officers, petty officers, and men to be given the 
respective numbers, grades, and ratings which they held at the time of such dis- 
charge, and also all officers and eulisteil juen of the Unitetl States Revenue Marine, 
United States Life-Saving Service, United States Light-House Service, and United 
States Coast Survey Service, in their grades and ratings. 

Sec. 2. That any able-bodied person between the ages of eighteen and forty-five 
is eligible for enrollment in the United States Naval Reserve: Prodded, That he is 
an ex-officer or a formerly enlisted man in the United States Navy, or has served as 
an officer or enlisted man for at least five years and has been honorably discharged 
irom the Naval Militia authorized by the laws of any State or the United States, or 
is an ex-officer or formerly enlisted man of the United States Revenue Marine, United 
States Life-Saving Service, United States Light- House Service, or United States 
Coast Survey Service, or holds a pilot's license or a certitieate as master or mate or 
chief engineer or assistant engineer, and is serving on a registered or enrolled 
vessel, or whose principal occupation is on the high seas or navigable waters of the 
United States, or in the construction, repair, and rigging of vessels, or the construc- 
tion and repair of marine engines or electric plants or parts thereof. The grades 
and ratings of these officers and men shall be determined by examination, and shall 
correspond to the grades and ratings existing in the United States Navy. 

Sec. 3. That the chief of the United States Naval Reserve shall be detailed by the 
Secretary of the Navy from the active or retired list of the line officers of the Navy 
not below the grade of captain, and he shall have the relative rank and pay of a 
commodore while holding said office, and shall recommend to the Secretary of the 
Navy for appointment such officers in said United States Naval Reserve as may be 
necessary for its organization and administration. He shall also command the Naval 
Coast Defense System. 

Sec. 4. That enrollment in the United States Naval Reserve shall be for a period 
not exceeding five years, and that every person enrolled therein, or who has received 
a full and honorable discharge therefrom, shall be exemj>t from service in any other 
military force of the United States or of any State. The officers thereof shall be 
duly commissioned, and shall be borne upon the Navy Register as United States 
Naval Reserves, and the men thereof shall receive from the Secretary enrollment 
papers and certificates stating their physical and professional ability and the length 
of their previous service. They shall not be called into active service in time of 
peace, but, if they so elect, shall perform such annual drills, exercises, or courses of 



UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 31 

study as the Seoretary of the Navy may determine, in which case they shall he suh- 
ject to the same articles, rules, and regulations, and receive the same pay, allowances 
and privileges as the officers and men of the Xavy, but no such pay and allowances 
shall be in excess of those for the period of duty actually performed by such officers 
and men. In time of war or when war is imminent, the President may call into 
active service all or any part of the I'nited States Naval Reserve, and they shall 
obey such call under the pain and penalty of desertion. 

Sec. 5. That the Tnited States Naval Reserve herebv established shall furnish the 
personnel for a Naval Coast Defense System, to consist of: First, an inshore patrol 
tleet, to which, in time of war or when war is imminent, the United States revenue 
cutters and light-house tenders shall be attached; second, a Coast Signal Service, 
which, in time of war or when war is imminent, shall include the establishments of 
the United States Light-House Service, United States Life-Saving Service, and 
Weather Bureau; third, a port guard and torpedo fleet, and fourth, a Navigating 
Reserve; the men of the United States Naval Reserve being distributed among these 
four branches, according to their (lualifications, by the Secretary of the Navy, who 
shall make regulations for the enrollment, organization, and administration of said 
Reserve. 

Sec. ti. That any vessel commanded by a commissioned officer of the United States 
Naval Reserve, and which shall have in her complement at least five other officers 
and men of said United States Naval Reserve, shall be known as a United States 
Naval Reserve ship, and shall have the right to fly a distinctive flag: Provided, That 
the color, shape, and size of such flag, and the manner of flying the same, shall be 
prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy. 

Sec. 7. That the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may 
be reijuired, is hereby appropriated for the purpose of paying the expenses incidental 
to the enrollment and training of the United States Naval Reserve and the publica- 
tion of the regulations governing it, and for otherwise carrying into operation the 
foregoing ]irovisions of this Act, and the same shall coustitiite a continuous annual 
appropriation, ])ayable out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropri- 
ated, for the purpose of continuing and maintaining the enrollment and training of 
the I nited States Naval Reserve, the same to be expended under the direction of the 
Secretary of the Navy. The officers and men shall be paid, when in active service, 
from the "Pay of the Navy." 

Sec. 8. That all laws and sections of laws conflicting with the provisions of this 
Act are hereby repealed. 



Appendix Q. 
form of honorable discharge for officers. 

United States of America. 

NAVY department, WASHINGTON, D. C. 

Having served with fidelity in the United States Navy from the day of 

, 1898, to the date hereof, in the war between the United States of America 

and the Kingdom of Spain, declared by Congress to have begun April 21, 1898, you 
are honorably discharged, with the thanks of the Government. 

This discharge is issued in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congress 
approved May 4, 1898, the exigency which, in the judgment of the President, rendered 
your services necessary having terminated. 

Given under my hand and seal of the Navy Department, at the city of Washing- 
ton, this day of , one thousand eight hundred and ninety . 

By the President : 

[SEAL.] , 

Secretartj of the Navy. 

, r. S. 'Xanj, 



32 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 

FOKM OF HONORABLE DISCHARGE FOR ENLISTED MEN. 
HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVY. 

This is to certify that , a , has faithfully served from the 

day of , 1898, in the war between the United States of America and the 

Kingdom of Spain, declared by Congress to have begun April 21, 1898. 

Is honorably discharged from the U. S. S. , and from the naval service, 

this day of . 

This discharge is issued in accordance with the provisions of the act of CongresB 
approved May 4, 1898, the exigency, which, in the judgment of the President, ren- 
dered your services necesssry having terminated. 

> 
Commanding U. S. S. . 



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